PHILIP SIDNEY

Either I will find a way, or I will make one.

Our erected wit maketh us to know what perfection is.

It is the nature of the strong heart, that like the palm tree it strives ever upwards when it is most burdened.

It is great happiness to be praised of them who are most praiseworthy.

For conclusion, I say the philosopher teacheth, but he teacheth obscurely, so as the learned only can understand him; that is to say, he teacheth them that are already taught.

Indeed, the Roman laws allowed no person to be carried to the wars but he that was in the soldiers' roll.

If you have so earth-creeping a mind that it cannot lift itself up to look to the sky of poetry... thus much curse I must send you, in the behalf of all poets, that while you live, you live in love, and never get favour for lacking skill of a sonnet; and, when you die, your memory die from the earth for want of an epitaph.

Plato found fault that the poets of his time filled the world with wrong opinions of the gods, making light tales of that unspotted essence, and therefore would not have the youth depraved with such opinions.

The poet nothing affirmeth and therefore never lieth.

A true knight is fuller of bravery in the midst, than in the beginning of danger.

The ingredients of health and long life, are great temperance, open air, easy labor, and little care.

The only disadvantage of an honest heart is credulity.

Poesy must not be drawn by the ears: it must be gently led, or rather, it must lead, which was partly the cause that made the ancient learned affirm it was a divine, and no human skill, since all other knowledges lie ready for any that have strength of wit; a poet no industry can make, if his own genius be not carried into it.

The wolf asketh not how many the sheep may be.

Many delight more in giving of presents than in paying their debts.

Our poor eyes were so enriched as to behold, and our low hearts so exalted as to love, a maid who is such, that as the greatest thing the world can show is her beauty, so the least thing that may be praised in her is her beauty.

A brave captain is as a root, out of which, as branches, the courage of his soldiers doth spring.

Self-love is better than any gilding to make that seem gorgeous wherein ourselves be parties.

Solitude, the sly enemy that doth separate a man from well-doing.

My thoughts, imprisoned in my secret woes, with flamy breaths do issue oft in sound.

Sin is the mother, and shame the daughter of lewdness.

As the fertilest ground, must be manured, so must the highest flying wit have a Daedalus to guide him.

The general goodness, which is nourished in noble hearts makes every one think that strength of virtue to be in another whereof they find assured foundation in themselves.

He whom passion rules, is bent to meet his death.

Remember that in all miseries lamenting becomes fools, and action, wise folk.